Published Works by Simon Stanley

As he prepares to embark on fatherhood, Simon Stanley talks to three families from Saigon’s international community about what life is like for foreigners raising children in Vietnam. Cover photo by Adam Clark. Shipping Out Teachers Anita and Sean O’Neill arrived in Ho Chi Minh City in the summer of 2014 with their then four-year-old son Jude….

Vietnam’s southern metropolis, officially known as Ho Chi Minh City, may not have the picture postcard charms of its northern counterpart Hanoi, but as a melting pot of cultures, cuisines, old meets new and East meets West, where shimmering skyscrapers rub shoulders with colonial-era mansions, it has much more to offer than many first-time visitors…

From London’s vibrant pop-up restaurant scene comes a menu as rich and as varied as its heritage, where steamed buns are just the beginning. By Simon Stanley. Photos by Vinh Dao. Baozi’s story started in England, when Chris Huynh, a Londoner born to Vietnamese parents, along with his Greek-British friend and business partner, Pablo Marks,…

With a raft of recent international trade and tax agreements coupled with rising incomes and a growing middle class, owning a car is now within the reach of more Vietnamese people than ever, but is Vietnam ready for the changes ahead? By Simon Stanley. Photos by Vinh Dao and Reuters. In 2005 there were just 209,000 passenger…

Simon Stanley talks to the Bangkok-based food and travel blogger about his love of chilli peppers, durian, and Southeast Asia’s street food. Photo by Mark Wiens. You were born in the United States and have lived in France, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Kenya. So it’s fair to say travelling is in your blood?…

On the hunt through Saigon, in search of the past, present and future of the banh mi. By Simon Stanley. Photos by Vinh Dao. “Chili!” says the elderly Vietnamese lady, ushering me closer. She seems eager to help and apparently already knows what I want. Taking one of the pre-made sandwiches from the counter,…

When Simon Stanley spotted the ‘made in Vietnam’ tag inside his most trusted rucksack, he decided to investigate. Photos by Osprey Packs. If you’ve ever gone backpacking, you’ll know this scenario well. Those times when your rucksack is bulging at the seams, overflowing with souvenir t-shirts, bubble-wrapped buddhas and baggy, one-dollar backpacker pants. The bus…

Simon Stanley visits Veritas Bespoke, where traditional crafts and modern technology combine to create some of the finest custom-made footwear in Vietnam. Photo by Vinh Dao. They say you can tell a lot about a man by looking at his shoes. With everything you’ve got going on up top – the tailored suit, the carefully chosen silk lining, the…

Simon Stanley gets the executive treatment at Saigon’s immensely stylish Hotel des Arts. Photos by Vinh Dao and Simon Stanley. Opened in October 2015, the fifth and latest addition to Vietnam’s offerings from the prestigious MGallery collection of unique, inspiring and first-class international hotels, Hotel des Arts, represents the first five-star boutique hotel in Saigon….

A brand new book street brings an added touch of culture to downtown Saigon. By Simon Stanley. Photo by Vinh Dao. -1- In 2014, a series of photographs taken in a Bangkok airport passenger lounge and published on Chinese news website Zhejiang Daily, apparently revealed a growing difference between Southeast Asian and Western cultures. While most of…

Simon Stanley discovers Vietnam’s imperial past, wartime horrors, and modern luxury in the country’s central region. Photos by Simon Stanley and Vedana Lagoon Resort & Spa. Tam Giang Lagoon, a 75-kilometre-long stretch of water, separated from the ocean by a thin ribbon of sand, sits just outside the old imperial capital of Hue. In just…

Simon Stanley gets a sneak peek at the first professional motor racing circuit in Vietnam. Photo by Vinh Dao. An alpine white BMW slides sideways out of the bend towards us, its polished bodywork glinting, its rear tyres screaming, and two white-hot exhausts growling as its driver teeters on the razor-sharp edge of control. Through a cloud of tyre…